# How to tell LR, LR+, LR++ and parallel Gundam cards apart > Four checks to tell LR, LR+ and LR++ Gundam Card Game cards apart in hand: the rarity line, the art, the frame and the official card page, plus what to confirm before you sell. Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/how-to-tell-lr-lr-plus-and-parallel-gundam-cards-apart Last updated: 2026-10-27 Type: Guide. Publisher: Lucernel. ## Short answer The three versions of a Legend Rare share one card number and one card text. Read the rarity printed next to the number (LR, LR+ or LR++), then compare the art and frame with the card’s official page: the + and ++ versions carry different artwork and a paler frame. In play they are the same card, so the version only matters when you buy, sell or trade. - **Choose this if:** Check the rarity line first, then the art, then the official page, before you price or sell a card. - **Choose the other option if:** If you only play the game, skip all of this: any version of a card number works in your deck. ## Side by side | | Base LR | LR+ and LR++ | | --- | --- | --- | | Same card number and text | Yes | Yes, only the art and the mark differ | | Rarity printed beside the number | Yes, LR | Yes, LR+ or LR++ | | Different artwork | No, this is the original art | Yes, a new illustration for each version | | Plays differently | No | No, same card in the rules | | Separate page on the official card search | Yes | Yes, one page per version | ## Start with the rarity line Look at the top corner of the card, next to the card number. On the official sample images of GD01-001 from Newtype Rising, the number sits beside a small box that reads LR on the plain card, LR+ on the first alternate and LR++ on the second. That box is the quickest tell, and it is the same text the official card search uses. The number itself does not change between versions. GD01-001 is GD01-001 whether the box says LR, LR+ or LR++, so the number tells you which card you hold and the rarity box tells you which version. ## Compare the art and the frame The version is also visible in the picture. On the official images for GD01-001, the three cards show the same Unit in three different illustrations, with a different pose and background in each. The card text, level, cost, AP and HP are identical. The frame shifts too. On the plain LR the cost and level box is solid blue and the number banner is dark. On the LR+ and LR++ images the level and cost numerals look pale and translucent over the art, and the banner is lighter. The LR++ frame also has a gold outline. Treat this as a hint for that card, not a rule for every set, because we only compared the cards listed in our sources. All of these images carry a SAMPLE watermark, so they show layout and art but not how a printed card catches the light. Judge the finish on the card in your hand, and use the official page only to confirm which art belongs to which mark. ## Parallels and Link Rare A parallel is another printing of a card number with new art. The official Freedom Ascension [GD05] page says its Link Rare cards come as parallels of cards in the set, with special designs showing memorable pairings, and that the set holds a record five types of LR++ cards. GD05-003 shows the pattern. The plain card is rated R and the Link version is listed as LKR +. The two cards have the same text, level, cost, AP and HP, but the Link version adds a character portrait above the Unit and an LK mark next to the card number. On the sample image the printed box reads R+, so go by the LK mark and the portrait, and by the LKR + label on the official page. So a pilot portrait added to familiar Unit art, plus an LK mark, points to a Link Rare parallel. Promo cards use the rarity P, and the card search has a P filter for them. SP cards are a separate special group. For both, the card number and the official card search settle it. ## Confirm with the official card page The official card search lists each version on its own page. For GD01-001 the page addresses end in _p1 and _p2 for the two alternate versions, and the image files follow the same pattern. The search also has an Alternate Art filter with the values SP, + and ++, which is a fast way to see every alternate in a set. Search the card number, open each version and match three things against your card: the rarity text, the art and the frame. If two versions look alike at a glance, the rarity box is the tie-breaker. Cards from different sets can look similar, so read the set code at the start of the number too. GD01 is Newtype Rising and GD05 is Freedom Ascension, and the official page for each card names the product under Where to get it. ## What to check before you sell The rules say cards with the same card number are the same card, and a deck may hold four or fewer copies of one card number (Resource cards are the exception). The rules define rarity only as an indicator of a card’s rarity and give it no part in play, so a buyer who pays more for LR++ is paying for the collectible, not the gameplay. A common slip is to read LR+ as LR and quote the plain card’s price. The marks are small, and on a card in a sleeve they are easy to miss, so take the card out of the sleeve if the box is hard to read. If a card has no mark after the rarity, it is the base version. Our own checklist, not an official one: write down the card number and the exact rarity text with its marks, match the art to the official page, note the set, and check the condition under good light. Then look up that exact version on the day you sell, because prices change and a listing for the wrong version is the usual mistake. Disclosure: GunTomo is made by Lucernel, the publisher of this article. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between LR, LR+ and LR++? They are the same Legend Rare card number with different artwork. The + and ++ marks name the alternate-art versions, and the card text is identical. ### Do LR+ and LR++ cards play differently? No. The Comprehensive Rules treat cards with the same card number as the same card, and they define rarity only as an indicator of a card’s rarity. ### How do I tell a parallel from the base card? Compare the rarity box and the art with the card’s official page. A + or ++ mark, a Link mark such as LK, or a new illustration with the same card number means a parallel. ### Where is the rarity printed on a Gundam card? Next to the card number at the top of the card. On the official sample images it appears as a small box reading LR, LR+ or LR++. ### Is GunTomo available? See the official app page for current availability and pricing. ## Our pick: GunTomo, to know which version you hold Reading the rarity box and matching art works for a few cards, and slows down with a stack. GunTomo reads the card code on the iPhone, tells LR, LR+, LR++, parallel and promo versions apart, and shows the market price of that exact version from public TCGplayer data, in the currency you choose. Add the card to your collection and scan the next. Card text and images belong to Bandai; GunTomo is an independent app. - Exact variant detection, including parallels and promos - Market prices from public TCGplayer data - Collection by set with copies and total value [See how GunTomo works](https://lucernel.com/apps/guntomo) ## Sources (checked 2026-10-01) - [Gundam Card Game official card search (rarity and Alternate Art filters)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/) - [Official card page: GD01-001 (LR)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD01-001) - [Official card page: GD01-001 (LR +)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD01-001_p1) - [Official card page: GD01-001 (LR ++)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD01-001_p2) - [Official card page: GD05-003 (R)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD05-003) - [Official card page: GD05-003 (LKR +)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/cards/detail.php?detailSearch=GD05-003_p1) - [Official booster page: Freedom Ascension [GD05]](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/products/gd05.html) - [Gundam Card Game Comprehensive Rules, Ver. 1.9.0 (official PDF)](https://www.gundam-gcg.com/en/pdf/comprehensiverules_en.pdf)